Saturday, June 17, 2006

Good Pickin'

A few weeks ago I tricked my kids into some good hard labor. Strawberry picking. I was in the mood for some strawberry shortcake and some yummy freezer jam to get us through.

So, we headed out to Roca Berry Farm. As soon as you stepped out of the car you could smell them. It was unbelievable. Super sweet and tangy. They also have a pumpkin patch that is a big hit in the fall. I remember going out to pick berries with my family once or twice but I hadn't done it yet with my kids. They were all excited until we got there and they realized they actually had to do this the hard way. Squat down and get your fingers all messy and pull the strawberries (wait, miniscule strawberries) off the vine. They were awfully tiny but they were packed with flavor and sweetness so they made up for it. We did find a couple of big ones that had managed to hide so far. Ha ha, you're mine now.She looks happier then she actually was.Well, we ended up with a pretty good crop. And the girls got to hear some of their native language since I think the entire Chinese population of Lincoln was there. Hmm. Maybe it was some sort of meeting or family gathering. I guess we were in the right place. There was a really beautiful little girl toddling around in a little sundress with a strawberry moustache. I would've taken a picture, but her family was getting plenty already.

10 comments:

L-this shortcake was WAY too labor-intensive. The best shortcake by far is my good friend Sara Lee's poundcake with the frozen strawberries and canned whipping cream. . .shall we indulge in just a couple of weeks? Lets.

I remember having to go pick berries w/ my family when we lived in Oregon. bleh. Now, I make my kids do it too. So far, no one has "pick your own" strawberries that are close by, but we do raspberries and black berries. You have inspired me to do freezer jame before I leave......

I took my kids blueberry picking on Saturday for the very first time in their little lives. It was a rousing success until the torrential rainstorm hit. Six kids and two adult women, equals 14 pounds of blueberries picked in one hour! The only thing missing for our blueberry booty is some strawberries to accompany them. Alas, we don't have any strawberry farms around here. Just how far is Lincoln from Houston? HMMMMMMMM Maybe we organize a berry exchange?

This is my first time here, and I have to say I love pictures, because I'm shamelessly nosy like that. Your girls are really cute.

That brings back memories and makes me homesick for the berry fields in Oregon. Of all the manual labor I performed as a youth, berry picking was the most rewarding!

I sometimes forget how wonderful vine-ripened strawberries taste after being relegated to the bland supermarket variety for so long. Every now and then I will bite into a truly sweet one and say to myself, "Oh! This is why I love strawberries!

Wow, I've never had fresh strawberries. I heard they're like a mouth full of joy. It looks like they had fun. Also, your shortcake is soooooo fancy. Mine consist of frozen waffles and caned whip cream.